Collapsible elevator



Jrie 24 H. G. SANKELA ETAL.

COLLAPSIBLE ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 18. i923 2 shears-Sheen 1 1N VEN TOR HQ 4/wr644,

WITNESS C. 7767156 fr@ ATTORNEYS June 24, 1924.

H. G. SANKELA ET AL GOLLAPSIBLE ELEVATOR Filed Aug. 18 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmY m "l NEEM!!! mmlmmmmm M ...Emmmmmmmmmmmmmm Z5 mum wwf Z5 Z@ @e EME' VINVENTOR 6:. lY/ffQ/b.

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A TTORNE YS Patented June 24, 1924.v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. SANKELA AND CHARLES F. STEGIVIEIEB, OF IORTLAND, OREGON..

COLLAPSIBLE ELEVATOR.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY G. SANKELA, a citizen of the United States, and CHARLES F. STEGMEiER, a citizen of Switzerland, and residents yof Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relatesto improvements in elevators, and consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein de scribed and claimed.

An object of our invention is to provide a simple, strong and reliable device for elevating persons and objects to various distances above the level of a fixed support and for then supporting the persons and objectsv in such elevated position for any desired period of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is adapted to be operated by a person who is supported thereon tovary as desired within the limits set by the device the height which the operator will be supported above a fixed support.

A further object of the invention is to provide device of the character described which will remain in any position to which it has been adjusted until operated further and which is adaptedlto be collapsed or folded to a relatively small compass when desired, the device also being capable of being moved from place to place when in either collapsed or extended position.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompan ing drawings, in which- Y Figure 1 is a side elevation of a practical embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a section substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking upward; and i Figure 3 is a perspective view of a spider wheel which is comprised in the device.

In carrying out our invention, we pro-vide a base or lower platform 1, an upper plat- Application filed August 18, 1923. Serial No. 658,103.

form or work support-ing member 2 and means adjustably connecting the base 1 and the upper platform 2 for supporting the latter upon the former in spaced parallel relation thereto.

An extensible standard which is desigvnated generally 3 extends between the base 1 and the upper platform 2 and comprises a plurality of telescopic sections respectively indicated at 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The sections 4 to 8, inclusive, are tubular, the section 4 being the lowermost and the largest in diameter of the respective sections. The section 4 depends through a vertical opening 10 which is located centrally of the basel so that it terminates at its lower end at a level considerably below that ofthe base. Any suitable means for securing the section 4 to the base 1 may be employed, but we prefer to make use of an attaching ring or flange 11 which encircles the section 4 and is attached. to the latter as well as to the base 1.

The upper section 9 of the standard is rigidly securedat its upper end to the upper plat-form 2. It will thus be apparent that the adjustment of the upper platform 2 relatively to the base 1 may be varied by adjusting the length of the portion of the standard 3 which extends between the base 1 and the upper platform 2 and that the base 1 and platform 2 will be releasably held in adjusted postion when the adjust ment of the standard 3 is maintained. To this end, each of the movable sections 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the standard is provided with a spider wheel indicated generally at 12, which spider wheel comprises a hub portion 13 encircling and secured to one of the sections 5, 6, 7 or 8 at the upper end of the latter and in any suitable known manner. no means being shown for securing the hub 13 to one of the standard sections. Each of the spider wheels 12 also includes a plurality of radial arms 14, each of which is fashioned to provide an axially extending journal pin portion 15 at its extreme end. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, each of the spider wheels 12 has four of the arms 14 and the respective arms are spaced equidistantly apart about the circumference of the hub 13.

Each journal pin portion 15 of an arm of one of the spider Wheels 14 serves to pivotally connect together intermediately crossedbars 16 and 17 respectively of a section of one of a plurality of lazytongs, each of Which is designated generally at 18. Y.The numberofvlazytongs `cen iprised in the device corresponds to the number of arms on each of the spider Wheels 12, andthe ninnber of sets of the interinediately crossed bars 16 and 17 in eachlazytong corresponds to the number of spider Wheels 12 in. the

. device. The respective sets of intermediately crossed bars V16 'and 17 comprised in each lazytong 18 are attached to the journal pin extensions at the ends of similar arms of Y connect the bars 16 the corresponding spider vvheels12, any suitable means, such as cotter pins 19, being' employed in conjunction With the journal` pin extensions 15 to hold the arms 14 andthe sections of the lazytongs in connected 'relation together. With this `ar rangement, extension of the lazytongs Will cause likemovement of the movable telescopic sections of the standard 3 and similarly the movable sections of the standards 3 will. be folded When the 'lazytongs 3 are collapsed.V Each lazytonp; 18 has the lower section thereof pivotally attached to the outer ends of a pair lof relatively short connecting bars or links 2() which have their inner ends pivotally supported upon a pivot pin 21 which extends through the parallel arms 22 of a substantially U-shaped bracket 23. The latter has the Web portion thereof securedat 24 upon the base 1 and the arms 22 may be arranged in slightly inclinedrelation to the perpendicular, as clearly shovvn in Figure 1. It also is to be observed at this point that the axis of the pivot pin 21 lies in the Vertical plane of the ares of the journal pin extensions 15 Which and 17 of the sections of the particular lazytona with which that pivot pin 21 is associated. Therefore. the movable sections of the standard 3 Will be moved vertically7 when the respective lazytong's are operated simultaneously and to a like extent. j

The upper interinediately crossed bars 16 andV 17"`o'f each lazytong are pivotally attached at their upper ends to depending lugs 25.1011 nuts 26 and 27, respectively, which are in threaded engagement with screvv portionsI 28 and-"29, respectively, of a horizontal shaft. The respective shafts for the severalla'zytongs are designated 30. 31, 32 and 33 and are best 'seen inFigure 2.

Each of these'shafts; is supported adjacentto its ends in hanger bearings 34 which depend frointhe under side of the upper platform 2, and each shaft also includes a the screiv portions 28 or 29 of each shaft is a righ t handed screw, While the other is a-lefthandedscrew. Therefore, When each shaft is turned in one direction about its axis, the nuts or travellers 26 and 27 thereeach other and a reversal inthe 'direction of .rotation the shaft will cause the nuts or travellers to move apart. lt of course is desirable ithattherespective shafts shall be rotated simultaneously and in the same direction. Each of the shafts 3f), 31" and 32, therefore.' provided. at' eachk of its -opposite ends With bevel. gears?? and the shaft is provided only at the end thereof adjacent to the shaft 32 with one of the bevel nears 37. rlhe bevel gear at one end of the shaft 30 is in mesh with the bevel gear on the adjacent end portion ofthe shaftv'l. The bevel `gears at the adjacent ends of the shafts 31 and 32 are in mesh"'and likewise the bevel lgears at the adjacent ends of the shafts 32 and 38 are in mesh.' It therefore Will he apparent that motion Willi'be imparted lo all the shafts 30. 31, 32 and when the shaft 30 is rotated. A' vertical shaft 38 is supported in a bearing 39 which is located in ali'nement With/an openinp; 40 through the upper platform 2 and a bevel l.crear 41 which is carriedat Ithe lower end of the shaft 88 is in mesh with the bevel lfear 37 at the adjacent end of the shaft 30. A crank handle 42 isY secured to the vertical shaft 38 at the upper'endV of the latter and provides a convenientlyV operable means for rotating the shaft 38 to effect rotation of the train of shafts 30. 31. 32 and The base 1 and the parts carried thereby which have been. described in the foregoing preferably are supportedy for movement from place to place and in such manner that the base 1 may be disposed ina horizontal: plane, irrespective of the slant of the supporting surface. To this end We may mountthe hase 1 upon a carriage having a fiat body 43 supported upon Wheels The body143- is of course disposed in parallel relationuto a supporting: surface. as, for instance',` the ground surface 45. The dependinrer lower end portion of the-loafer section 4V of the standard 8 may extend loosely through an opening 46 inthe body VThe'bas'e luisy supported in spaced parallel 4relation to the bodyT 43 by means of a plurality of adjustable connections 47 each of which includes" i an elongated threaded lower section '48 which .is einirafgredv ivith an internally thread-Y ed sleeve 49. The latteris disposed in a vertical opening in the body'43 and is-held against displacement from the latter by means of flanges 50 at the upper and lower ends of the sleeve. Each section 47 also comprises an elongated upper section 51 which is vertically disposed and is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis in a sleeve bearing 52 which is secured in an opening through the base 1 in vertical alinement with the sleeve 49. The up-per section 5l is provided at its lower end with an eye portion 53 which is interengaged with an eye portion 54 at the upper e-nd of the lower section 48.` This provides a flexible connection between the upper section 51 and the lower section 48, whileinsuring that the two sections will rotate together when the upper section is turned about its axis. A crank. handle 55 is provided at the upper end of the upper section 51 for rotating the latter. It will be apparent that the respective connections 47 may be operated as required to position the base l in a horizontal plane, even though the plane of the body 43 of the supporting carriage is inclined slightly from the horizontal. v

The upper platform 2 mayl be provided with a guard rail 56 along the marginal edges thereof.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood. The platform 2 may be of sutlicient size to support a plurality of persons or objects, as, for instance, a number of workmen and the tools and articles which they will require to perform a certain work. The crank handle 42 may be grasped and operated to cause eX- tension of the lazytongs 18 and consequent elevation of the upper platform 2 to a desirable elevation. It will be manifest that the engagement of each two co-operative bevel gears with each other and the engagement of the travellers with the screws on which they are supported will prevent accidental displacement of the upper platform 2 from any position to which it has been moved.

The device may be moved from place to place either when in extended position or when in folded or collapsed position. When in collapsed position the device takes up but relatively little space and is therefore adapted to be stored away or transported as required. While the uses for which the device is adapted are innumerable, it will be obvious that the device is particularly well adapted to be used in lieu of scaffolding and like structures in connection with the construction of buildings. as a support for use in trimming trees and picking fruit, and in fact for any use in which elevation above the ground surface is required, as in fighting lire or making observations in time of peace or war. Y i

Obviously, our invention is susce tible of employment in forms other than t at illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and we therefore consider as our own all modifications and adaptations thereof which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a base, a platform` an extensible standard connecting the platform. and the base and comprising a plurality of telescopic sections, the uppermost of said sections being secured to the platform and the lowermost of said sections being secured to the base, and extensible means arranged between said platform and the base and connected to certain of said telescopic sections for simultaneously moving the platform vertically in respect to the base and for lengthening said standard to compensate for the relative movement of the platform and the base.

2. A device of the character described comprising a flat base, a platform, an extensible standard connecting the platform and base, a plurality of horizontal shafts supported from the platform, each of said shafts including a right handed screw portion and a left handed screw portion, a lazytong for each shaft, a traveller in threaded engagement with each screw portion of each shaft, each lazytong being pivotally attached at its upper end to the travellers on one of said shafts, and each lazytong being pivotally attached at its lower end to said base, means connecting said extensible standard with said lazytongs whereby extension of the lazytongs will cause like movement of the standard, and means for operating said shafts to effect extension and folding of said lazytongs, at will.

3. A device of theV character described comprising a flat base, a platform, a standard connecting the platform to the base, said standard comprising a plurality of telescopic sections, certain of said sections being freely movable in the direction of their length, the uppermost of said sections being secured to said platform and the lowermost of said Sections being secured to said base, a spider wheel carried by each of said freely movable sections of the standard and having a plurality of radial arms, a lazytong having intermediately crossed members pivotally connected together by the end portions of the similar arms of said spider wheels, said lazytong being pivotally attached at its lower end to said base, and means carried by the platform and connected with said lazytong at the upper end of the latter for operating the lazytong and for releasably holding the sections thereof in adjusted position.

4. A device of the character described comprising a fiat base, a platform, a standard connecting the platform to the base, said standard comprising a plurality of telescopic sections, certain of said sections being freely movable in the cl'feotion of their length? lazytong being. pivotally attaoliel at its thenpperniost oi" said sections being secured lower end to said base, means carried by the to said platfoiin and the loweiinost oil said platform and connected with said lazytongs sections being seem-ed to Seid base, ay spider at the upper enclV of the latter for operating Wheel carried by euoli ol Seid freely movable the laizytong and for releasztbly holding the 15 sections of the standard and having e plw Sections thereof in adjusted position7 and rality of mdial zinns, a. lazytong having inmeans for moi/ably Supporting Said basen. termediately crossed members pivotally conneoted togetliei1 by the enfl poitione oi? tlm HENRY G. SANKELA. l f

1H similar arms of said spider wheels, said CHARLES F. STEGMEIER. 

